Local residents, left to right, Levi Wolfe, Miranda Woodard, Tyler Sadar, and Genevieve Marquez help salvage and clean property in an area inundated after days of flooding, in Hygiene, Colo., Monday Sept. 16, 2013. (Brennan Linsley, Associated Press)

CENTENNIAL — While Gov. John Hickenlooper's first priority continues to be search-and-rescues in hard-hit flood areas, he said Monday the state already is looking at how it going to recover and rebuild.

Flanked by FEMA chief Craig Fugate and seven members of the Colorado Congressional delegation at a press briefing here, Hickenlooper said that sewage plants and streets will have to be replaced.

"We recognize that a lot of these bridges and roadways and culverts were built a long time ago," he said. "We have a strong opportunity here, with FEMA's partnership, to come out of this situation with a stronger infrastructure."

And in the areas that are "very vulnerable to flash flooding," Fugate said, questions must be asked about rebuilding "the way it was ... or designing for the future."

Hickenlooper said 21 helicopters were in the air Monday with a primary mission of search and rescue. In addition, he said, 10 teams from the Colorado Department of Transportation have been assessing infrastructure damage.

President Barack Obama over the weekend made both an "emergency" declaration and a "major disaster" declaration for Colorado, hit by flooding up and down the Front Range and across the eastern plains. These distinctions unleash the potential for tens of millions in federal dollars to flow to the state — both in reimbursements to local governments and individuals who apply for them.

So far in 2013, the president has deemed major disaster, emergency or fire assistance help 84 times across the country.

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In the case of the High Park and Waldo Canyon fires last year, FEMA reimbursed the state and local governments $3.6 million for infrastructure repairs. No money went directly to individuals for that fire.

Another much larger example is Hurricane Sandy, which tore apart sections of 13 East Coast states. So far, $1.4 billion has gone to 180,000 people directly and another $2.8 billion to states to help respond. The state or local governments are responsible for 25 percent of the costs and the federal government will pay the rest.

Fugate, who was in Colorado Monday to survey the damage, said his agency was "fresh off" Sandy, one of the biggest housing operations it ever handled.

"There are a wide range of programs" to assist displaced Coloradans, he said, including renting homes, repairing existing ones and the use of modular units.

Fugate was asked how Colorado's floods compare d to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in terms of homes destroyed and people displaced.

"I don't compare any disaster," he said. "All disasters are local."

Almost 400 FEMA workers are on the ground in Colorado helping people register directly for assistance. Larimer, Weld and Adams counties have been added as eligible for those personal assistance grants.

The other work is supporting existing efforts from local and state governments, including search and rescue, water delivery and helping people with supplies.

Washington staffers from Colorado's Congressional offices said Monday once the recovery begins, they will make sure the federal government is adequately supporting — in cash and people — the efforts.

Money shouldn't be a problem since earlier this year, Congress passed a $50 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package, which still has more than $30 billion left for other emergencies.

"During disasters like these our role first is to stay out of the way and let the first responders and rescue teams do their jobs," said Sen. Michael Bennet spokesman Adam Bozzi. "Then our largest priority is to support the governor's request for help and push the federal government to quickly assess and respond to the situation with resources."

Hickenlooper said damage analysis had already begun, even as search and rescue remains the priority. A fuller picture of the costs of the flood could take up to three weeks, Hickenlooper said. Fugate said it could take 30 days.

Hickenlooper praised the federal emergency agency, which was blistered for its response during Hurricane Katrina.

"The old FEMA is gone," he said.

The floods mark the fifth time since 2008 Colorado has received an "major disaster" declaration by the president. Three of those instances were because of fires and another was for severe storms and tornados in 2008.

Colorado has received 86 disaster, emergency or fire declarations since the mid 1950s.

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